The freezing weather and snow have been making me and the dogs a little stir crazy lately, especially now that the holidays have come and gone.

Here are some of the activities I have lined up to keep the pups busy until the snow melts.

Food Balls and KongsAn easy way to occupy the dogs is to feed meals in stuffed Kongs or food balls, toys that can be filled with kibble and rolled on the floor to release the treats.

My Sheltie, Nemo, has gotten quite good at getting kibble out of most treat balls, so I usually use the Nina Ottosson DogPyramid, which is more challenging.The beehive-shaped toy is weighted at the bottom so that it always returns to a standing position.

Nina Ottosson Interactive Toys
Speaking of Nina Ottosson, my crew got a couple of her puzzle toys from Santa this year.There are several different versions, each with varying degrees of difficulty.They require a little more thought than the food balls and are definitely more interesting for the humans to watch!

Tugging
Tugging with your dog is a great way to get lots of energy out--humans included! (I’m always amazed at how tired I feel after a good tugging session).Check out my previous blog for instructions on how to make your own tug toy from an old t-shirt.

Shaping GamesPlaying with the clicker is a great relationship-building activity that you can do together. You’ll be surprised how exhausted your pup can get from just using his brain!This doesn’t mean that you have to actively train a new behavior; often it’s better if you don’t have a set outcome in mind.If you’re new to shaping, try the 101 Things to Do with a Box game.